Idaho Lawyers

Civil Litigation

827 E Park Blvd, Boise, ID 83712, USA

Arnold L. Wagner is one of four founding attorneys at MWSS+ and is a litigator with a wide reputation for success in the business and construction fields. "Arnie" has 20 years of experience in the representation of general contractors, subcontractors, sureties, owners and suppliers in litigation, negotiations and all types of alternative dispute resolution. He also has a well-established history of negotiating all types of construction contracts and spends much of his time advising some of the largest contractors in Idaho on day-to-day operations. Arnie excels at building relationships with his clients and takes pride in not only "getting them out of trouble," but also helping them strengthen their business practices. In business, Mr. Wagner represents businesses in employment matters, contract litigation, breach of warranty and defective product litigation as well as significant and contested debt collection cases. Arnie thrives at handling complex commercial litigation of all types and works closely with his clients to make the right business decisions throughout the entire process. Arnie is a graduate, summa cum laude, from Western Washington University where he attended on a full-ride academic scholarship and graduated from The University of Washington Law School. While Arnie enjoys golfing and fishing whenever he gets the chance, he has spent most of his free time coaching and administering youth sports. He has 2 sons with his wife, Darcy. Arnie is particularly proud of coaching each of them, in a 4 years span, to the Pacific Northwest Cal Ripken Championship and earning berths to the Cal Ripken World Series. These days, he can usually be found with Darcy watching his sons play high school sports or rooting for THE University of Washington.

Appellate Law

5210 Cleveland Blvd ste 140, Caldwell, ID 83607, USA

Brian DeFriez is an accomplished appellate attorney with a robust background. He received his Juris Doctorate in 2008 and a Ph.D. in political science/public law in 2017. Brian began his legal career in private practice, representing clients from 2008 to 2012. Since founding DeFriez Law, he has consistently provided exceptional appellate services in Idaho and the Ninth Circuit. Brian’s strong analytical skills and extensive legal knowledge enable him to address complex appellate issues with precision and clarity, earning the trust of clients and colleagues alike.

Personal Injury Law

827 E Park Blvd, Boise, ID 83712, USA

Chad M. Nicholson is a key litigator for MWSS+. His background in criminal law and prosecutorial duties in Washington State provided him with significant courtroom experience prior to joining the firm. Working independently as well as in collaboration with our principals, Chad has proven himself adept in both the preparation phase of litigation as well as the process of trial law – from either side of the courtroom. Chad has expertise in personal injury and medical malpractice claims, employment matters, and commercial litigation, including general business, construction and real estate. For more than a decade Chad has represented individuals who have been injured in accidents, from medical negligence or because of defective products. In the business and employment arena, Chad is knowledgeable and experienced in a variety of matters including sexual harassment claims, age, disability and other discrimination claims, Family Medical Leave Act claims, non-competition and non-disclosure agreements, and wrongful termination claims. Outside the courtroom, Chad regularly negotiates and drafts employment contracts, employee manuals, non-competition agreements and non-disclosure agreements. Chad grew up in Oregon before attending Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho. After completing law school at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, Chad began his practice in the Seattle, Washington area. He settled in Boise in 2006 and today enjoys golf, snow sports, hunting and following his son’s football and wrestling teams at Bishop Kelly High School. Chad is also on the board of directors for the non-profit organization Gates of Hope, which provides the tools for sustainable growth to individuals and communities in both Africa and the United States.

Family and Divorce Law

380 S 4TH ST, Ste 102, BOISE, ID 83702-7687

Area of Practice: Probate Law, Wills & Trusts, Estate Planning, Guardianships & Divorce

Personal Injury Law

PO BOX 4, Kunda, ID 83634

Kristian Beckett is a Boise trial attorney whose work has included criminal defense and litigation over access to school records. He represented Rilee Ann Lutz, a former assistant softball coach, in a sexual-battery case in Bear Lake County. The jury acquitted Lutz after a seven-day trial. Speaking to EastIdahoNews.com afterward, Beckett said inaccuracies in police reports had been demonstrated during the proceedings and had contributed to the verdict. In a separate matter before the Idaho Supreme Court, Beckett represented Richard Kollmann in a dispute with Soda Springs Joint School District. Kollmann alleged that the district delayed providing records concerning his child’s education and health. His original lawsuit, filed in November 2025, was dismissed in Caribou County before the appeal. Beckett’s argument focused on the relationship between Idaho’s five-school-day response requirement and the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. He maintained that the federal 45-day period was an outside limit, not permission to withhold records that could be produced earlier. In responding to the justices’ questions, he distinguished a specific statutory timeline from a maximum guideline. He also argued that Idaho’s five-day requirement supplied the reasonable response period contemplated by federal law. The school district opposed that interpretation: its attorney, Anne Mageneli, argued that the federal law applied and that the lower court had correctly dismissed the case.

Real Estate Law

428 Park Ave, Idaho Falls, ID 83402, USA

Mr. Cornelison brings a blend of business and legal experience to our firm. His thirteen years of legal experience range from advising startups to taking companies through complex Chapter 11 restructurings. His business experience consists of three and a half years providing management consulting services to Fortune 50 companies. Mr. Cornelison has presented at legal conferences, co-taught a law class at BYU, and co-authored the legal handbook on real estate for real estate brokers in Idaho. Mr. Cornelison grew up on a dairy farm in Southeastern Idaho, where he experienced firsthand the opportunities and challenges of small business and agriculture. He spent two years living in Bogota, Colombia and remains fluent in Spanish. He graduated from law school at the University of Idaho and completed an MBA at BYU, focusing on strategy and entrepreneurship. Following his MBA, Mr. Cornelison worked in Dallas, TX for international consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers. There, he worked in the customer strategy segment, advising some of the largest companies worldwide. Mr. Cornelison is the father of a young daughter whom he adores. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with her skiing, mountain biking, cycling, flying, and nearly anything outdoors. He and his daughter have competed in several bike races and look forward to more.

Criminal Defense Law

2021 Cleveland Blvd, Caldwell, ID 83605

Attorney Michael Jacques, a former prosecutor, works hard to find acceptable solutions for his clients. The firm’s practice areas include: criminal defense, bankruptcy, estate planning, and personal injury law. He provides comfort to his clients and truly cares about their wellbeing. He's available to help clients get through difficult legal situations as quickly and painlessly as possible. He aggressively pursues the rights of his clients in a variety of practice areas such as DUI and drug charges, domestic violence, criminal sex charges, estate planning, and bankruptcy. Michael believes in providing aggressive representation with a personal touch. He enjoys getting to know his clients and he will go the distance for his clients, never hesitating to take a case to trial in order to protect their rights. He believes that good attorneys go beyond the law and take the time to know their clients. He cares about how today’s legal issues effect his clients down the road. Handling today’s legal issues require forward thinking in order to secure the best results for his clients, and that is the focus of Jacques Law. Michael spent 2-1/2 years as a deputy prosecuting attorney as he honed his skills in the courtroom. The confidence developed during those years and over a decade since then gives him the ability to litigate and negotiate on his clients’ behalf to secure the best results. If you are looking for an attorney who is a trustworthy and excellent investment, Michael Jacques is the attorney you are looking for. Michael Jacques is a member in good standing of: Idaho Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys, Commercial Law & Bankruptcy Section, American Bar Association, and the Better Business Bureau (A+).

Immigration Law

444 W Iowa Ave, Nampa, ID 83686

Talia is an expert in immigration law, having worked in the field of immigration since 2010. She has experience in all fields of immigration law, including transactional employment-based immigration, nonimmigrant visas, labor certifications and removal defense. Her primary passion involves keeping families united, which is why she specializes in family-based immigration matters, DACA and U-Visas. Talia believes that preparation is critical to providing exemplary advocacy for each client. She is meticulous in her presentation of cases, whether in trial before Immigration Judges, or in the process of obtaining permanent residency and citizenship before the US Citizenship and Immigration Service.